Lamp sealing apparatus



y 1944. R. M. GARDNER 2,349,822

LAMP SEALING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llHl Ill z W g/ mm q mr Z4 7 2| 22 I In 2 Roland M GGTCZIQK V T 4 /4 BYM M,

ATTO RNEY y 0, 1944. R. M. GARDNER 2 LAMP SEALING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y. ROZGTldjiGQTCZTZGfiINVENTOR.

BY W 3. I

ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1944 2,349,822 LAMP SEALING APPARATUS Roland M. Gardner,

Swampscott, to Syivanla Electric Products Inc.,

tion of Massachusetts Application April 25, 1941, Serial seal.

A further object is to provide such a means of gas as a means Fu ther objects, advantages and features will from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a side eievational view, partly in section, oi a portion of the gas sealing machine. showing One of the sealing heads and a portion 01'. the gas mixture valve in section and a portion of the valve holder.

Figure 2 is a front view of heads on the machine.

Figure 3 is a schematic mixture valve.

In Figure l, the tubular glass envelope l is held by the locking law the mount support 12 through the guide 3 which the guide shaft 4 through the key mount 1 which is to glass envelope l is seated on the mountsupport 12. It is H of the mount 1 which is actually sealed to the lipped extremities l 0! the envelope i. The lead-in wires 8, sealed in the mount I, project up through the top thereof and support the niamentary electrode 9 therebetween. The exhaust tribulation Hi is sealed in the upper portion of the mount 1 and projects downward through the flare ll.

The lower extremity of the mount support i2 which encloses the tubulation it extends down through the burners i3 and is titted in the gas inlet sleeve M. This gas inlet sleeve I4 is bushed to the head chair l5 through the bushing It. This head chair l5 may be one of a series of such chairs mounted on the turn table of a turret machine.

The gas mixture line H provides a means for conducting the gas mixture from the mixture chamber IS in the lower valve plate is. This line H enters the head chair i5 and thus pipes the gas into the chamber in the bushing is from whence it flows through the vents 2 in the gas inlet sleeve and, the channel 22 into one of the sealing diagram of the gas Mass. assignor a corpora- 2 and is aligned with the combustion chamber 23 of the burner B. The channel 22 is formed by the inner walls of the gas inlet sleeve H and the outer walls of the mount support l2 which is fitted in said inlet sleeve.

The gas mixture formed in the mixture chamber 18 is iormed .by letting oxygen and air through the the chamber i8 where it mixes with the gas introduced directly into the chamber. There are 3 supply ports located on top of and extending into the top valve plate 2!. They are the gas supply port 25, the oxygen 26 and the air supply port 21. Due to the fact that these ports are located in a staggered relationship to each other, the oxygen supply inlet 26 doesnt show in the section herein depicted. These three ports are connected to sources of gas, oxygen and air respectively.

The air supply port 21 pipes air iinto the air and oxygen mixture chamber 29 through the connecting chamber late and the connecting chamber plate. A similar piping of oxygen into the air and oxygen mixture chamber 29 is accomplished through the connecting chamber 3i in the top valve plate and connecting chamber 46 in the lower valve plate. Gas is piped supply port 25 through the connecting chamber 32 in the top "'valve plate and the connecting chamber 41 in the lower valve plate into the mixture chamber l8. It should be noted that the air and oxygen are mixed together in the chamber 29 and then jetted into the mixture chamber I8 while the gas is introduced directly into the top of the mixture chamber lii. By bringing together the gas, air, and oxygen in this manner, a proper mixture is readily obtained.

The valve consists of a top valve plate 28 anda lower valve plate l9. They are concentrio with the two shafts 33 and 34. Shaft 33 is the inner shaft is 'the outer shaft and is movable about the shalt. The lower valve plate I9 is portion of the valve and is attached to the turn table 35 which moves with the rotatable shaft 3. The of the valve and a plate 28 and the shaft 34 allows to remain stationary while the shaft 34 moves. The plate 28 remains stationary because it is fixed to the valve holder 36 by means of the pin 31, as explained in more detail below.

To prevent any harmful eiiects to the valve mechanism assembly or its related parts as a the plate 28 is the fixed portion result of backring or some similar phenomena which might take place as a result of improper the horizontal alignment of the top valve plate 28 may be maintained. The spring 38 encircles that portion or the stud 31 which does not extend into the recess 50. Thus, if for any reason an explosion should take place by reason of improper control being exercised over the gas, air and oxygen suppl the i'orce exerted thereby would have no harmful eflect for it would merely cause the upper valve plate 23 to be lifted upward thus freeing the trapped gases. The spring 38 would be contracted thereby and, as soon the explosion was relieved, it would expand and plate 28 to return to its normal position, properly centered by the stud 31.

The gas mixture emanating from the burner jets I3 may be lit by similar means. The flames emanating from the ports I in the burners I3 heat the flare II of the mount 1 which is to be sealed to the lipped extension 40 of the tubular glass envering 39 is moved up to press the molten rim of the flare II against the lipped extremity III of the glass envelope I, thus forming the seal. The

sealing ring 39 may b moved up by a cam or some similar device acting on the sealing ring attached thereto and which is freely fitted through the head chair I5. The rim of the top surface of this sealing ring 39 projects upward higher than the main portion thus providing a mould within which the seal may be uniformly formed when the ring 39 is moved up in contact with the molten glass. The ventilation ports 42 in the sealing ring 39 serve as a means of insuring the continuous burning of the fire in the burners I3 when the sealing ring moves up to compress the molten glass. Although the top portion 52 of the combustion chamber is bevelled in a man ner to provide for the angular disposition of the ports 5| of the burner, with consequent direction of the flow outward and upward from the burner I3 in a direction substantially tan- 39 has accomplished the compressing of the molten glass and has dropped down to its normal position the gas inlet sleeve II and the ele- 75 a pilot light or some other ments located therein are moved up to the top of the mount support I2 to workuse stretch the seal ju'stformed. This elevation d. the gas inlet sleeve assembly may be accomplished mechanism by causing the lower extension thereof to pass over a slight rise in a track along which said lower extension may be caused to pass. The extent of this elevation may be limited by the sleeve ring 43 attached to the bottom of the gas inlet sleeve I4 below the lower extremity of the head chair I5 through which the sleeve i hushed.

The upward movement of the gas inlet sleeve II will carry with it the mount support I2 which is fitted therein and the burner I3 which caps the top thereof. As is shown in this figure, Figthe mount support 2 is semimount is placed is located within guide 3, the lipped extremity glass envelope I in conjunction with the semi-conical mount support will provide an adequate centering of any mount whether itis one with or without an exhaust tube. The lower extremity of the mount support is bored to a smaller diameter than the upper ward movement of the mount support the tubular glass envelope I Figure 2 shows more clearly just how the gas mixture line connects the mixture source in the lower valve plate I9 to th combustion chamber 23 by piping the gas mixture through the head chair I5. It shows the tubular glass envelope I which is held in the locking jaw 2, with the mount 1 sealed in at the end thereof. This figure also brings out more clearly the relationship between the sealing ring 39, with the ventilation ports 42 therein, and the burner I3.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the gas mixture valve. As the turntable 35, on which a series of heads similar to that described in Figure 1 are attached, moves through 360 in a series of indexing steps, the movable lower It shows the air and oxygen 29 and the gas mixture chamber I8 into which the air and oxygen are piped from chamber 29. It also shows the connecting chambers 45, 46'and 41 in the lower valve plate which pipe the air, oxygen, and gas respectively into the mixture chambers 29 and I8. The elongated air, oxygen and gas connecting chambers 30, 3I and 32 respectively, located in the fixed upper valve plate, pipe air, oxygen and gas respectively from the air, oxygen, and gas supply ports 21, 26 and 25 respectively. The gas, air and oxygen are then distributed from these connecting chambers 30, 3I and 32 to their corresponding connecting chambers in the movable lower valve plate as the lower valve plate moves through its indexing cycle. It is advisable to locate the gas, oxygen v and air supply ports 25,

valve plate I9. mixture chamber 26 and 21 as nearly in the longitudinal center of these elongated connecting chambers 30, 3| and 32 in order to insure a more even pressure distribution over the entire chamber area.

As may be noted from the schematic diagram of Figure 3, these three elongated chambers 30, 3| and 32 are not of the same length nor are they aligned with each other to introduce gas, air and oxygen into the mixture chambers in the indexing lower valve plate at the same time. They are disposed in a manner to first introduce gas, then air and finally oxygen and when one of the heads connected to the lower valve plate moves out of the range of these elongated chambers, the oxygen is cut off first, then the gas and finally the air.

As was pointed out above, the internal structure of the lower valve plate shown in phantom represents an indexed position. The first of the ports 45 to 41 to be sequentially brought into register with chambers 30 to 32 is port 41 which is brought into register with the chamber 32 just after it has left One indexed position and is in the process of moving to the next one. A pilot light suitably disposed will givea soft gas fire. As the indexing continues, the air connecting chamber 45 will be brought into register with the elongated air chamber 30 just before the next indexed position is reached. Thus in one indexed step, one of the heads connected to the lower valv plate will move from no registration with these elongated chambers 30, 3| and 32 through a registration with the gas chamber 32 and then a registration with the air chamber, so that the next indexed position will provide a fire of gas and air, When the next indexing step takes place, the head which is now provided with a gas and air fire will be brought in register with the elongated oxygen chamber 3i through the connecting chamber 46 as it is in the process of moving to the next indexed position. Thus the head which has a gas and air fire when it left one indexed position will be provided with a gas, air and oxygen fire when it reaches the next indexed position.

To prevent an explosion or back-firing, it is necessary to disconnect the oxygen first and so this is done on this valve. This valve also provides for the disconnecting of the air last so that the mixture chambers 23 and I8 in the lower valve plate may be cleaned out by ashort blast of air therethrough after the oxygen and gas supply has been .cut oil. The elongated chambers 30, 3|, and 32 are designed to do more thanjust provide for the periodic introduction of gas, air,

indexing from one position to another starts. Thus as one head is having the gas supply cut oil therefrom, at that same instant, another head is brought in register with the other end of the elongated supply chamber. In this way, the same number of positions or parts thereof, are always being fed with gas and a pressure equilibrium is constantly maintained.

The same is true of the oxygen and air supply chambers 3| and 30. Oxygen is introduced into one of the heads in the indexing lower valve as soon as the indexing motion is started. By the same token, the oxygen supply is cut off on the other end of the chamber as soon as the indexing starts. Since one of the heads on the lower valve is not brought in register with th elongated air supply chamber 30 until shortly before an indexing movement has been completed, a head on the and oxygen in that order and then the closing off of this supply by cutting off the oxygen first, then the gas, and then the air.

As'was pointed out above, the supply ports 25, 26 and 21 are disposed in a manner to be as near the longitudinal center of the elongated chambers 30, 31 and 32 as possible and still not be located directly over an indexed position. Further provision is made for the maintenance of a pressure equilibrium by providing for the same number of positions on the indexing lower valve plate to be in register with their respective supply chambers in the upper valve plate at all times. This may be learned by a closer study of each of the elongated/chambers 30, 3| and 32.

As shown in Figure 3, the elongated gas chamber 32 is cut off shortly after the indexing from one position to another starts while it is brought in registration with one of the positions in another head on the lower valve shortly after the other end of the chamber is not cut off until shortly before the indexing movement has been completed.

Thus this machine not only provides a gas, oxygen and air heating means for sealing bulbs at both ends during one cycle of the turntable but the valve employed and herein'described is so constructed as to insure a constant pressure at all times in the respective gas, oxygen and air supply chambers. The burner construction and assembly, as may be observed from the above description, enables the reduction to a minimum of the circulation of the products of combustion through the internal area of the bulb during the sealing operation. The peculiar angular disposition of the burners and the particular positions which the two bodies being sealed assume with relation to each other as well as with relation to the burner reduces to a minimum the amount of water vapor which circulates through the bulb. Thus in this respect this sealing apparatus afiords a distinct advantage over the type of gas sealing machine generally used.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for sealing a mount to an elongated glass bulb, the combination: a support for said mount; a holder for said bulb above and in register with the support for said mount; a burner concentric with said mount support, and immediately below said support; and a sealing ring concentric with and of larger diameter than said burner; said ring being mounted for vertical movement with respect to said burner.

2. Apparatus for sealing a mount to an elongated glass bulb comprising: a turret machine; a plurality of heads on said turret machine, each head comprising a support for said mount, a clamping device for holding said bulb above and in register with the support for said mount, a burner concentric with and immediately below said mount support, and a sealing ring concentric with said burner, and movable in a vertical direction with respect thereto.

3. In apparatus for sealing a mount to an elongated glass bulb, the combination: a frusto-conical mount support; means for holding said bulb above and in register with the support for said mount in a position such that the iipped extremities of one end of said bulb will be seated on the flared portion of said mount but within the rim thereof; a burner having a plurality of ports therein, concentric with and immediately below said mount support, the ports of'said burner being angularly disposed in a manner to direct a cone of flame radially outward and upward from the lower extremity of the mount support to the portions of the flare of the mount adjacent the rim thereof; means throughwhich a supply of gas, air, and oxygen may be introduced into said burner; and a, sealing ring concentric with said burner and movable vertically with respect thereto, said ring having a plurality of openings in the walls thereof.

4. In apparatus for sealing a mount to an elongated glass bulb, the combination: a. substantially irusto-conicai mount support; a holder for said bulb above and in register with .said mount supi0 port; a burner. immediately below and in register with said mount support, said burner having ports therein disposed'to direct a cone of flame radially outward and upward in a direction substantially tangential to the perimeter of the base edge of said mount support; and a sealing ring concentric with said burner and movable vertically with respect thereto.

ROLAND M. GARDNER. 

